Another Hope
by Ben-Max
Summary: AU story where Luke is frozen in carbonite and taken to the Emperor and Leia is trained as a Jedi by Yoda
1. Prologue

This is the very first story that I ever wrote a while back. It is actually a completed story, but since I wrote this story, my writing skills have improved so I'm telling it so that it is written better. And I'm also changing some things so that it coincides with AOTC. I'll update whenever I finish more parts.  
  
Another Hope Written By Ben Maxwell  
  
During his duel with Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker is frozen in carbonite and taken to the Emperor on Coruscant. Still impulsive and naive, Luke makes a very critical mistake. Now Obi-Wan must send Leia to Dagobah to be trained as a Jedi Knight by Master Yoda. But even she won't be able to save Luke from his greatest enemy: himself.  
  
Anything that you read in this story that goes back to the prequels that has not been in one of the movies or from one of the books or from confirmation of Lucasfilm Ltd. is completely from the mind of the writer. None of these things are spoiler materials. It's just how it could've happened through the eyes of just one fan.  
  
-PROLOGUE-  
  
Darth Vader watched as Luke Skywalker entered the carbon-freezing chamber. He saw Luke begin to look around. His finger on the trigger of his blaster. That blaster won't help you anymore. The Force burns brightly inside of you. But you still do not understand it.  
  
Darth Vader brought the lights up in the chamber, and finally spoke to Luke, who had his back turned to him. "The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi, yet."  
  
Luke turned to face him. As he walked up the steps, Luke put his blaster back in his holster and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, but did not ignite it.  
  
When Luke was up the stairs, he stopped at a few feet from Darth Vader. Darth Vader stared back him, but did not speak. Nor did Luke.  
  
A moment later, Luke ignited his lightsaber and held it up in his fighting onguard.  
  
So he wants it this way. If I must defeat him to show him the power of the dark side...so be it.  
  
Darth Vader ignited his lightsaber and the red blade shined brightly onto Luke's face. They stood there for a beat more before Luke lunged at Darth Vader.  
  
He easily blocked the swing and Luke backed off right away. Luke waited another beat before he struck at Darth Vader again. This time holding the locking his blade with Vader's.  
  
Using only one hand, Darth Vader shoved Luke with his lightsaber. Luke took a couple of steps backward and fell to the ground.  
  
He got up right away, keeping his lightsaber blade up, ready to defend.  
  
He's beginning to realize who's more powerful.  
  
Luke struck out at Vader for a third time. Throwing blow after blow, with Vader blocking everything Luke gave him.  
  
Luke brought his blade up towards Vader's head, but at the last second swept it down towards his legs. Vader wasn't fooled and their blades locked again.  
  
Darth Vader and Luke began to circle around each other. More scientifically, trying to weigh up each other's strengths and weaknesses. Luke lunged out again, with a horizontal cut towards Vader's middle. When Vader blocked it, he shoved with his blade and Luke went 180 degrees around him, just barely staying on his feet.  
  
The boy is good. With my help, he could be great. "You have learned much, young one!"  
  
His face and hair damp with sweat, Luke panted out, "You'll find I'm full of surprises."  
  
As am I. With a sweeping motion of his lightsaber, Darth Vader flung Luke's lightsaber out of his hand and it hit the ground at the bottom of the steps and extinguished.  
  
To be disarmed on such a basic move...I'll have to teach him to hold on to his weapon if he wishes to live. He brought his lightsaber up high and struck the floor next to Luke. He had no intention of actually hitting him, but Luke rolled out of the way and off the steps and hit the ground. Vader leapt off the steps and landed right where Luke used to be before he scrambled out of the way.  
  
Darth Vader noticed how close Luke was to the carbon-freezing pit. I just need to keep backing him up. He is still unaware of what's behind him.  
  
Darth Vader continued to walk forward as Luke walked backward. "Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true."  
  
"...No."  
  
Yes...Just a bit more...Yes, close enough. I can tell he knows now, but too late. With just one shove with the Force...  
  
Without knowing it, Luke backed into the carbon-freezing pit with a scream. As he hit the bottom, he was knocked unconscious.  
  
"All too easy..." Using the Force, Darth Vader turned the machine on, and with a puff of smoke, Luke was frozen in carbonite.  
  
"Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought." A giant claw came out of the ceiling and pulled Luke out of the pit. As the carbonite slab was lowered to the ground, Darth Vader walked up to it for a moment, and studied it. "Good. He has survived, as Captain Solo did. One day, when you are ruling the universe at my side, you will thank me for doing this."  
  
Darth Vader pulled a com-link from his belt and turned it on. "Admiral Piett, it is done. Prepare my star destroyer for my arrival with Skywalker." 


	2. Secrets Revealed

Two days later.  
  
Emperor Palpatine was in his Palace Chamber on Coruscant. He was sitting at his throne looking out a window down at the city. He saw an Imperial shuttle landing on a docking bay near the palace. Suddenly, there was a crackling sound out of the intercom on the arm of his throne, and a voice came out.  
  
"Your Highness, Lord Vader has returned from Bespin."  
  
"Is young Skywalker with him?"  
  
"Yes, your Highness."  
  
"Excellent! Send them both to me immediately." The Emperor shut down the intercom.  
  
Excellent! Young Skywalker is mine! Now I have a new Apprentice. But I must be careful. Darth Vader is still a power to be reckoned with. There is no doubt that he will try to have Skywalker as his own Apprentice. That cannot happen. The dark side has blessed me with immense power, but I cannot defeat both Darth Vader and Skywalker together. As a single power, they could steal my universe. I will have to show Skywalker who the true Master is!  
  
Suddenly, the door at the far end of the Chamber opened and entered Darth Vader alone. The Emperor spun his throne around to face his former student. "Greetings, my friend. So you were successful in bringing me Skywalker. Where is he?"  
  
"He will be brought up shortly. My Master, when shall he be told?"  
  
"Patience, my friend. He shall be told when the time comes for him to know."  
  
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Cold. So cold. Pain. Alone. Warm. L-Light. Bright light? Dead? No...  
  
Luke felt warmth return in his body and a long nightmare finally came to an end as the carbonite melted away from him and he fell to the floor. He heard some noises of people walking away, but he couldn't tell who they were or where he was.  
  
Luke's eyes began to clear as he staggered to his feet. He was suddenly startled to see that he was in a completely different room with Darth Vader, but also with his Master, Emperor Palpatine.  
  
They stood in silence for several minutes, before the Emperor spoke. "I must say, young Skywalker, you have proved to be very powerful at such a young age. I'm looking forward to seeing how much stronger you will grow after you have completed your training as a Sith Lord."  
  
Struggling to say his first words after coming out of the carbonite, Luke managed to say, "I'll never let you be my Master."  
  
"Why? Obi-Wan is dead....Master Yoda will be dead very soon....Who is left? Your training is incomplete. I will be your new Master." The mention of Master Yoda sent a chill over Luke's body.  
  
How does he know about Yoda? If he knows he's still alive, does he also know where he is? Did I somehow give something away in my mind? Luke couldn't think of a time when he felt more confused and alone. "Obi-Wan will always be with me."  
  
"Really? Where is Obi-Wan now, when you need him most? When you were fighting Darth Vader? Where was Obi-Wan? When you were frozen in carbonite? Where was Obi-Wan? He has abandoned you Luke. He has lied to you since he met you."  
  
"Obi-Wan was the only one who didn't lie to me. He told me the truth of what I really am. He told me where I really came from." Luke turns his head to focus on Darth Vader. "He told what really happened to my father."  
  
Darth Vader broke from his silence. "And just what was it that he told you?"  
  
A tear formed in one of Luke's eyes. "That you betrayed my father and killed him."  
  
"I did not kill your father, Luke...I am your father."  
  
Something seemed to tear inside of Luke's chest. His breathing became rapid. He struggled to speak, but it felt as if his tongue had doubled in size. All that came out was, "No...no...that's--that's not possible."  
  
Darth Vader walked up to Luke and looked him in the eyes. "Search your feelings, Luke. You know that this is true."  
  
Through the Force, Luke searched in his mind and heart for the answer. Please, tell me that this isn't true. Give me something to disprove it...The cave. When I cut the head off that 'Phantom Vader.' The helmet split to show my own face. I never fully understood that lesson until now. That him and I are connected...He's Darth Vader...my dark father.  
  
At once, Luke knew this was the truth. He began to feel a collage of emotions running through his mind: shock, abandonment, shame, denial. But only one managed to break to the surface. Anger.  
  
Luke screamed, "NO!" He pulled his lightsaber from Darth Vader's belt, and with as much strength as he can, shoved him into the air with the Force and he hit the ground with strong enough impact to shake the floor beneath them. Luke turned on his lightsaber with a snap-hiss and charged after Darth Vader. He held up his hand Luke ran into an invisible wall of the Force. He stopped in his tracks and felt an grip go around his throat and cut off his air. He began to gasp and fell to his knees.  
  
The Emperor sighed, "Enough of this. Lord Vader, let him go. He's our new Apprentice." Darth Vader looked to his Master, then let him go. Luke fell the rest of the way to the ground and let in a full breath of air.  
  
The Emperor approached Luke and said quietly to him, "Did you see how far you threw your father when you used your anger? And that's only the beginning of the power the dark side can give you! We both know that there is no other way for you to become a Jedi Knight. Join us!"  
  
I can't join the dark side. Obi-Wan and Master Yoda instructed me well enough to know that. But I'm not strong enough to beat Darth Vader yet. I'm not ready for this yet. Why didn't I listen to Master Yoda and stay on Dagobah? There's only one thing I can do. Let the Emperor think that I'm joining him. It'll buy me some time. And...scientists found out that a disease can be cured by injecting a small amount of it into the patient. Maybe it's the same way with the dark side. In order to defeat it, you must let it penetrate you and learn its secrets.  
  
"Yes. I'll join you...Master."  
  
"Good! Very good! Guards, show Skywalker to his new quarters!" The door opened and the lead guard walked in. The Emperor brought his attention back to Luke. "Get your rest, my young Apprentice. Tomorrow, you start your new life with power beyond even you could ever have imagined."  
  
As Luke began to walk out of the chamber, he heard a voice in his mind. Some day, you will rule universe at my side. It took Luke only a second to realize that this was Darth Vader and the Emperor speaking to him at the same time.  
  
Luke suppressed a smile. Good. They'll both be spending so much time fighting each other, they'll never realize that they're 'puppet' is the one pulling the strings. 


	3. Mysteries Unraveled

It was the middle of the night on Home-1. Leia was sleeping and was woken up by a blue glow. When she sat up she saw an elderly man in a long brown robe, surrounded by a blue light. A moment later, Leia realized who this man was that was standing before her.  
  
"General Kenobi? What are you doing here? We saw you die." Leia said this not in an accusing way, but said it to try and convince herself of it.  
  
"Through the Force, death is not an end of life. Only one chapter. I'm here, because you are the final hope for the Jedi Knights."  
  
"Me? I'm can't be a Jedi Knight. You need Luke, he's the one with the Jedi powers."  
  
"Yes, he's very powerful, but Luke has been captured by Darth Vader and taken to the Emperor. He has fallen to the dark side."  
  
Leia went cold and her face paled. "How could Luke fall to the dark side? That's not possible!"  
  
"It is. And you are our final hope. But he can still be saved. He isn't as far into the dark side as Darth Vader is. You're the only one who can save him."  
  
General Kenobi must me making some kind of big mistake. "Me? How could I save him? Why me?"  
  
"You can save him because...you're his sister."  
  
"...Sister?...Yes, that's it. That's the bond we felt the moment we met on the Deathstar." This explains why I've felt such deep love for both Luke and Han. All this time, I've loved Luke, but I didn't even realize it was the love of a sister to her brother. And it was Han that I felt the intimate love with. But could I actually be a Jedi? I suppose that there's really only one way for me to really know. "Alright, I'll go. What should I do?"  
  
"First, you must begin your training. You must go to the only person left to train you. The Jedi Master Yoda on the Dagobah system. You must go at once. Yoda is waiting for your arrival."  
  
Leia got out of her bed and began to grab things that she was going to need. "I'll leave as soon as I can. Thank you, Gen--uh, Master Kenobi. I won't fail you. I promise."  
  
"I hope so. I'm sorry to put such a burden on your shoulders, but if you fail, everything will be lost. The last small flame of the Jedi Knights will flicker and die out."  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
"Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and other leaders of the Alliance; I regret to have to inform you that I have to take a leave of absence. There is other business that I have to take care of and it cannot wait. I hope that you can forgive my leaving you for a length of time that, at this point, I cannot say. But if I'm successful in what I must do now, then the Empire will finally fall, and we can begin to rebuild the Republic and the galaxy."   
  
This was the message that Leia left in her quarters for the Alliance to find. She couldn't bring herself to just leave them, even though she couldn't tell them where she was going, or how long she'd be gone. Leia was flying in an x-wing she was able to scrounge up in the hangar bay of Home-1. She was just coming out of hyperspace into the Dagobah system.  
  
I hope nothing happens to the Alliance on this "leave of absence." I'm not even sure why I came here. It had to all be a dream. Me? A Jedi Knight? If I had abilities in the Force, I'm sure I would've seen it by now, or maybe Luke would've...Strange. No cities or docking bays or anything are getting picked up on the scanners. Well, accept for life-form readings.  
  
"R5, the fog's blocking my scopes, I'm going to need you to use your scanners to guide me down to a safe place to land the ship." The R5 unit beeped a response and after Leia's x-wing translated it, she replied, "Well, I'm sorry if there isn't much to work with, but there's not much choice. Find something."  
  
After several minutes, Leia managed to land in a relatively safer place than Luke was forced to set his ship down on. Leia opened her canopy and looked out at the world she was on, and wasn't very impressed.  
  
"Not exactly the kind of place that you'd expect to find the last Jedi Master in the galaxy. This is where Luke was trained?" Her mentioning of Luke reminded her of what had happened to Luke. A vision came to her mind of Luke dressed like Darth Vader, commanding Imperial fleets and wiping out what he had dedicated his last three years to helping build.  
  
Leia climbed down the ladder of her x-wing and got out her survival gear from its compartment. She got it all set down onto the soggy soil of Dagobah, and she just stood there, realizing that she had no idea how to find this Jedi Master. Nor would she even know him, if she saw him. Well, maybe he'll find me. Almost like a response to her thought, she heard a voice that seemed to come from nowhere.  
  
"Great strength in the Force, do I sense in you. Like your brother. And your father. Yes. Strong in the Force is the Skywalker line."  
  
Leia looked around for the source of the voice, but saw no one. She decided to just talk out into the air. "Are you Yoda?"  
  
"I am." This time the voice came from right behind Leia, and she spun around to see a short, old-looking creature, standing on a fallen log. She looked at him skeptically, that this small and somewhat ugly creature could be the Jedi Master she was seeking.  
  
"You're Yoda?"  
  
"Not believe can you, a Jedi Knight, one could be, who is so small?"  
  
"Well, I--"  
  
"Soon, will you learn, like your brother, that size matters not. To become a Jedi Knight is why you are here?"  
  
"I came because I want to save Luke."  
  
"To become a Jedi Knight is how to save him."  
  
"Yes...Master Yoda. I'm ready. Teach me to be a Jedi Knight." 


	4. Apprentices of the Dark and Light

Luke was lightsaber dueling with Darth Vader, and the Emperor was sitting nearby, watching them.  
  
"Very good, my young Apprentice! Anger is the key to all the power in the universe. Let your hatred flow through your body and control your actions."  
  
Darth Vader delivered a quick thrust at Luke's middle, but Luke easily parried it away and delivered a high hit straight down onto him. Vader blocked it, but the hit was with such force, that it knocked him off balance and with the Force, Luke shoved him to the ground. The Emperor laughed and stopped the lesson.  
  
"That is enough for now, Skywalker. You are learning your lessons well. Even your father was not as strong as you are at this point. Go to your quarters now and study the Sith teachings you were given."  
  
Luke was breathing heavy, but also gloating at the fact that he had finally beaten his father. "Yes, Master." With that, Luke leaved the Palace Chamber.  
  
Darth Vader has gotten back to his feet and clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt. "He has learned much, my Master. He was very powerful before he came to us, and now he is better than even I expected he could have been."  
  
"Yes, he is very good. The time is coming for his test to find out his loyalty to the Sith. As you proved yourself by killing your wife, we must decide who he must destroy in order to become a Sith Lord."  
  
"He has no one like this. All that is left of the Skywalker blood line is he and I."  
  
The Emperor sat back into his throne and had a look on his face not unlike amusement. "Then you must fight him to the death. The survivor shall be the Dark Lord of the Sith."  
  
Only one Sith shall die, but it won't be a Skywalker. "It seems a waste for him to die so soon, but if this is your wish, I shall do your bidding."  
  
"Good. Now leave me. I must be alone."  
  
Without a word, Darth Vader left his Master alone. When he left, the Emperor spun his throne towards the large window behind him.  
  
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Concentrate. If I can just concentrate, I know I can lift this rock. I can feel the Force inside of me now, just begging to be released.  
  
Leia was sitting down on the muddy ground with her eyes closed. She was clearly exhausted from running through the Dagobah swamps. Yoda was off to the side sitting on a log. There was a small rock sitting on top of a larger one in front of Leia, and the small rock began to wobble. It moved! I'm doing it! Now if only I can lift it into the air.  
  
"Good. Now concentrate. Feel the Force around the rock, as around all things, it is. Inside of you, you must feel it. Now, lift the rock."  
  
Slowly, the rock began to lift into the air. It moved up to eye level with Leia and she opened her eyes to see the rock float up in front of her. A small smile crept onto her face. This was her first time manipulating the Force.  
  
"Very good. Your first step into a larger world, have you taken. But more to lifting the rock, there is, than just lifting the rock. Every facet of it, you must know. Truly understand the power, must you, in order for it to truly be yours. Understand, do you?"  
  
"Yes, Master." Leia used the Force to le the rock slowly set back down onto the large one.  
  
"Good. Now, for more running, it is time."  
  
Leia breathed exasperated. She felt more powerful than she ever had in her life, and she was trying to develop all of the patience that Yoda had said that she needed, but it was hard for her to not get impatient in wanting to become a Jedi Knight, so she could try to get her brother back.  
  
Leia also found herself thinking about Han. After finding out that she was twins with Luke, and that he'd fallen to the dark side, and training to be a Jedi Knight, she had almost forgotten about Han. Almost. She began to wish that she could have them both back. Remember to remain patient. I'll see them again once I complete my training. 


	5. The Training of a Jedi Knight

Another couple of weeks went by and Leia was growing much stronger. In that time, she was learning and growing in ways that she never imagined possible. On one day, she was doing exercises of lifting things with the Force while standing on her head. She was able to lift Yoda up off the ground with not much more than a motion with one hand after she lifted it off the ground. After several minutes of this, she lowered her Master down, and used the Force to bring herself upright. Yoda was pleased with her progress.  
  
"Good. Much progress, do you make. Ready are you, for the next step in becoming a Jedi Knight. A symbol for us, it has become."  
  
Leia almost at once, knew what he was talking about. "You mean--making a lightsaber?"  
  
"Yes. But no materials, there are on this planet, to make one. Give you one, I will have to. Belonged to another powerful Jedi Master, it did. Close friends were we. Deserve it you do."  
  
Yoda pulled an old metal rusty box out of one of the pockets in his robe and lifted it up to Leia. She took it from him, and opened the box. She saw a lightsaber that was in surprisingly good condition. "It feels so much lighter than it looks."  
  
She held it in both hands and felt the cool metal against her fingers. She looked to Yoda, who gave her a small nod. She flicked a button on the lightsaber and the blade sprung to life. She felt the hilt vibrate in her hands as she marveled at the brilliant violet blade. She waved it around, and it snapped and crackled through the air. "I didn't know that any Jedi had a violet-bladed lightsaber."  
  
"Something different, Mace Windu wanted. Yes, the rest of us had lightsabers with blue or green blades. Green, was mine."  
  
"You have a lightsaber of your own?" It was difficult for Leia to imagine this small Jedi Master to be able to fight with a lightsaber.  
  
"By your old measures, do you still go by? Said before have I, size matters not."  
  
"I'm sorry, Master. I will remember from now on."  
  
"Hmmm. I wonder. Yes, have my own lightsaber, I do. Like all Jedi Knights, part of the training process, it is. Needed it, have I not, for many years. Not since the Clone Wars. Now, learn to use it, you must. And also, the most important lesson that goes with your lightsaber, you must learn."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Figure that out for yourself, you must."  
  
Leia nodded and stared in quiet awe at the dazzling weapon in her hand.  
  
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A few days went by and Leia was sparing with an old remote that Yoda had in his hut. It was buzzing past her and shooting off blaster shots, and she was reflecting some, but more were getting her in the arm or the leg. When one hit her, she would let out a small yelp of pain, but it would quickly reside. Yoda turned off the remote and it pauses right in its tracks. Leia turned off her lightsaber and looked over at him.  
  
"Less choppy, you must make your strokes. Flow, it all must. An extension of your arm, make it like. To the Force, you must listen. Where to move your blade, you must let it tell you."  
  
"I'm trying. Really. Maybe I'm just not meant to fight with a lightsaber. You said so yourself that it's been years since you fought with a lightsaber. Do I really need to learn how to fight?"  
  
"Fighters, we are not. Guardians of peace, have we always been. But what good are we if defend for others, we cannot? Charge in waving our lightsabers we never do, but when time for action comes, a Jedi acts. Now trust what the Force sees, not your eyes."  
  
"I try, but it's so hard not to use my eyes instead of listening to the Force."  
  
"Then, shield them, we shall have to." Yoda tore a long strip of cloth from off his robe and used the Force to float it over to Leia. " Here. Around your eyes, tie it. And do or do not. There is no try."  
  
Leia did as she was told. Yoda quickly turned the remote back on just as Leia was igniting her lightsaber and the remote gave her a shot in the stomach. Leia yelped and grunted in frustration of the pain.  
  
"Careful! Use not the pain of the bolt to assist you!"  
  
Leia took a deep breath and calmed herself down again. The remote took shots at her for a while longer and the shots gradually became more rapid. Finally, the 20-minute timer stopped the remote. Not one shot hit her.  
  
"Good, were you. Control your anger, fear, and aggression at all times, you must remember. The dark side, that is. Promises many things, it does. But give them to you, it cannot. Your soul, it searches; and your inner most desire, it finds. Claims to make you a Master, it does. But all become you, is a slave."  
  
Leia got a sinking feeling in her heart. "Like what happened to Luke." 


	6. The Dark Deal

It's hard to believe that this used to be so difficult for me! Luke was in the Palace Chamber by himself. There were eight remotes flying around the room shooting blaster shots at him and he was easily deflecting them all. Okay, now I have to destroy the source of the enemy. Obi-Wan just taught me how to deflect the bolts, but if you don't destroy where the problem comes from, you just deflect bolts forever, and eventually, you will falter and be destroyed. That makes so much sense! Why didn't I realize it before?  
  
Luke started to deflect the bolts in such a way that they go right back at the remote and blow up. Finally, there was one last remote. He didn't even wait for the shot; he leapt high into the air and came down onto the remote, stabbing it from above. Like the others, it blew up and the debris fell to the metal ground. Luke shut off his lightsaber. A voice came from behind him.  
  
"You have become very powerful in the month that you have been here. Now, you are ready to help me in destroying the Emperor."  
  
Luke turned around to face his father. This is what I've been waiting for. "Why should I destroy my Master? I still need him to teach me."  
  
"I can teach you, Luke. I need your help. With your power added to mine, the Emperor will be defeated, and I will finally be the Master of the Sith."  
  
Luke folded his arms. Not if I kill you both myself! "So, what would be in it for me?"  
  
"If I become the Master, then you will be named the Dark Lord of the Sith. You will have infinite power at your fingertips. The power of the dark side, and endless star destroyers, super star destroyers, and TIE fighters...all at your command."  
  
Luke thought it over. At my command...to take back to the Rebellion and wipe out the remains of the Empire! "Yes, Father. Together, we will defeat the Emperor."  
  
"Good." Darth Vader walked up to Luke and put a hand on each of his shoulders. "And together, we will rule the galaxy as father...and son."  
  
Don't be so sure, Father. 


	7. Trial of a Jedi

Leia was again running in the swamps with Yoda on her back. Yoda gave her precise directions on where he wanted her to go. After climbing vines that seemed to never end, and encountering creatures that she didn't even know existed, she finally reached an open area right in front of a dark cave. She had just started to show signs of fatigue.  
  
"Is this the place that you said we'd be having my lesson today?"  
  
"The correct place, this is. Time it is, for you to learn the most important lesson of being a Jedi Knight."  
  
Leia was nodding when a deep rush of cold came over her. After a moment, she realized that it was the dark side of the Force that she was feeling and that it was coming from inside the cave. I'm not going in there!  
  
Yoda must've known what she was thinking. "Inside the cave, you must go. Now, the time is, decide what wish you to do. To take your lightsaber with you or leave it behind. For no answers, look to me. All I can tell you, this is."  
  
Leia looked down at her lightsaber clipped to her belt. Even though she had only had it in her possession for a few weeks, she had grown a special bond with it. To go into the cave without it was something that she did not want to do. She looked at Yoda, and wondered what it was that he wanted her to do. She tried to probe his mind to find out. I'm not picking up anything from him. I should've known that I wouldn't be able to probe the mind of someone as powerful as Yoda. She had finally learned that despite his size, Yoda was the powerful Jedi Master who ever lived. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and be without. She had decided to walk into the cave with her lightsaber.  
  
Leia walked into the cave with lightsaber in hand, ready to ignite and fight whatever comes out at her. As she walked deeper into the cave, she saw the dark silhouette of a figure. Soon, she recognized the figure as Luke. She ran up to him and put her arms around him.  
  
"Luke! You have no idea how much I've wanted to see you again! Master Kenobi came to me in a dream and said that we were twins! I'm training to be a Jedi Knight, like you!"  
  
"Twins? Then that means that we can fight side by side and fight those that stand in the way."  
  
From behind Luke, another silhouette formed. A man in a long flowing black robe. The Emperor!  
  
The voice said, "Join your power to mine, Leia. You have great power in the Force. It's equal even to my own. Together, we can defeat our enemies once and for all."  
  
Leia glared at him and yelled, "Never!" She ignited her violet lightsaber and charged after the Emperor and stabbed him in the heart. He gave out a cry of pain and fell to his knees. A gust of wind blew his hood down and revealed the face of Luke. He stared at Leia in pain of the wound and puzzlement. Luke faded away as he fell to the ground in death.  
  
Leia was silent. She could hardly breathe or move as she slowly turned around to see the other figure of Luke, who was smiling evilly. From what seemed to come from nowhere, he pulled a hood up from his back and pulled it over his head, and he became his true form. The Emperor.  
  
"Excellent! Now we can fight side by side and destroy those who stand in our way."  
  
"I'll never fight with you!"  
  
"Then, you will be destroyed!" With that, the Emperor lifted his hands in the air and lightning began to crackle around his hands and weave around his fingers, as he laughed. He held his hands out toward Leia, and shot the lightning straight at her. She crouched down onto the ground, clenching her eyes shut.  
  
"NOOO!" Just before the lightning hit her, everything went silent. Leia looked up and saw that she was alone in the cave.  
  
She walked out of the cave with her head hanging down. She knew that she had failed in her test. Yoda was sitting near the cave waiting for her with no look of anger on his face. Only patience and tolerance.  
  
"And what learned, have you, today?" Leia stopped for a moment and thought. She believed that she knew the answer to this. She chose her words very carefully.  
  
"To always see things as they really, not how they seem at first appearance. Just like when I first met you, my first thought was of just an old, little creature. But if I had looked through the Force, I would've seen that you were the Jedi Master that I was seeking."  
  
"Very good. Anything else, have you?"  
  
"Yes. The most important lesson that I needed to learn was that the key to unlocking my power as a Jedi Knight is to use the power as little as I have to. To only use it to save my life, or the lives of others. To protect everything that the Force touches, which is every living thing from the tiniest of plants to the biggest of wookiees. Not to use it just because it would be convenient for me."  
  
"Yes, Leia. That is correct. Failed the test, you may have. But lost, the lesson was not. Soon, to get your brother, you will be ready."  
  
At the mention of this, a warm glow came over Leia. She could literally feel her strength coming together inside of her. 


	8. Revenge of a Sith

It was nighttime in Coruscant. The Emperor was sitting at his throne, as usual, looking out the window down at his city. The door hissed open and Darth Vader came in. He stopped at about five meters from the Emperor.  
  
"The time has come for you to step down...Palpatine." This was only the second time ever that Darth Vader had called the Emperor by his first name only.  
  
The Emperor's throne spun around to face Darth Vader. "Are we going to do this again? I have already shown you once before that you cannot defeat me."  
  
"This time, I will not lose." He unclipped his lightsaber sprung the scarlet-red blade to life. "Fight me. If you are not too afraid."  
  
The Emperor just smiled, as if entertained by that. "Very well. It appears that you will not have to fight Luke. I will kill you myself, and he will be the Dark Lord of the Sith." The Emperor walked up to his old student. The confrontation of two Sith Lords with immense power. They are were standing about one meter apart from each other. They locked eyes and neither one faltered.  
  
From behind the Emperor, there was the sound of another snap-hiss and the Emperor turned around in time to see Luke jump from the rafters onto the ground, about half a meter behind him. Luke glared at the Emperor with his blue blade held across his chest, ready to battle.  
  
"You have been the Master long enough. The time has come for changes in the Sith."  
  
The Emperor looked from Luke back to Darth Vader. "So, you were able to turn your son against me. Interesting. He will have a chance to see who the true Master is, after he watches you die."  
  
All of a sudden, the entire chamber started to shake, and rafters were falling off the ceiling. One was about to fall on Darth Vader, but he quickly cut it into three pieces with his lightsaber.  
  
The Emperor shot Luke in the stomach with Force Lightning, which knocked him to the ground long enough for a couple of rafters to come down on him. He was not seriously hurt, but it pinned him to the ground and knocked his lightsaber out of his grip.  
  
The shaking slowly stopped, and the Emperor turned around to start releasing Force Lightning on Darth Vader, but he was expecting this and is out of the way before the lightning even got close to him. Darth Vader lunged at the Emperor and swung his lightsaber at the Emperor's stomach, trying to cut him in half. Darth Vader just barely missed, but it was close enough to singe the Emperor's robes and draw some blood. The Emperor used the Force to put the pain aside. Enraged, he used the Force to shove Darth Vader. He shoved him with such force that Darth Vader went high into the air and hit the wall, leaving a large dent there, before he crashed to the ground.  
  
During this time, Luke managed to use the Force to pull the rafters away from him and get his lightsaber back. Darth Vader staggered to his feet again and shook the dizziness away. Luke charged the Emperor from behind, leapt high into the air and stabbed him in the heart from the back. His lightsaber went right through his chest. The Emperor screamed out in pain, and became silent. Darth Vader ran towards the Emperor and with one clean sweeping motion, cut off the Emperor's head.  
  
The Emperor's body exploded into blue fire. This threw Luke and Darth Vader back into walls on opposites sides of the chamber. After the fire had subsided and the smoke was almost done settling, Luke and Darth Vader walked towards each other and met back at the point where the Emperor died. They looked at each other for a long time before Darth Vader broke the silence.  
  
"At last, I am the Master of the Sith. You will not go unrewarded for this, I promise you, Lord Skywalker...Dark Lord of the Sith."  
  
Luke turned his lightsaber back on and with a determined grin on his face said, "I don't think so, Father. The end of the Sith comes now." Luke swung his blade at Darth Vader's head but it was blocked and shoved aside.  
  
"You cannot defeat me, Luke. You are not ready yet. Not by far."  
  
"I've beaten you before."  
  
"I was holding back. I know of your plans Luke. You wanted to defeat the dark side, correct? All this time you thought that you were just allowing me to think that we were in control, but if you had looked closer, you have seen that you lost control long ago. The dark side has you. You do not wish to kill me, because you truly wish to be the Dark Lord of the Sith. You know that I am the only one who can give you the power, so your mind will not let you kill me."  
  
"No. I can kill you anytime I want." Luke charged at his father and swung his blade at him, but missed wide left. He swung again, but this time it was too far to the right. He continued to swing his blade time after time, but failed to make contact.  
  
Darth Vader just stood there motionless as the blade continued to miss him. Finally he grew tired of it and brought his lightsaber blade up and locked onto Luke's. He threw it forward and Luke sailed through the air and landed hard on his back.  
  
Darth Vader slowly walked up to Luke and brought his blade within centimeters of Luke's throat. He held it there and Luke laid on the ground, sweating and too scared to dare to try and strike again. Finally Vader brought his blade back and extinguished it. "No. Not yet. You may still be fighting it, but the dark side has you. It will have you completely seduced soon. Fight all you wish Luke, but I know rule the galaxy with you at my side." 


	9. A Light in the Shadow

Back on Dagobah, Leia was asleep in Yoda's hut. She had gotten used to the smaller space. She was awoken by a loud screaming in her mind that slowly began to fade away until it was gone. At once, she knew what had happened. Before she could even make a sound, Yoda was standing near her and beat her to it.  
  
"Destroyed, the Emperor has been. No doubt, by Darth Vader and your brother. No more time, do we have. Go back we must, to Coruscant."  
  
Although she was afraid now, to see what Luke had become, she controlled it as Yoda had taught her. "Yes, Master. I'll be ready soon."  
  
"Yes, hurry you must." Leia looked at Yoda, and saw in his eyes a whirlpool of emotion in them: sadness, mourning, guilt, failure, and a bit of hope. "Too late, it may be. All is finished, if it is."  
  
Yoda walked outside the hut to wait for Leia to change. Leia got out of bed and started putting on her jumpsuit over shorts and tanktop she wore for sleeping in. I'm coming, Luke. Please hold on. I'm coming.  
  
Leia wasn't sure if it was actually him or just a bit of fear inside her own head, but she heard a voice say, "Don't try to interfere. There's no hope for me, anymore." Leia put the thought aside and finished getting ready, clipped her lightsaber to her belt, and grabbed her gear.  
  
Within the hour, Leia and Yoda, with a few accommodations, were in her x- wing leaving the Dagobah system. As soon as Leia got the coordinates from her navi-computer, she put the ship into hyper drive to the center of the galaxy, and the heart of the Empire.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Darth Vader and Luke were both in the Palace Chamber and were making a holo- message that would be sent around the galaxy, delivering their message. Darth Vader was sitting in his new throne, while Luke was standing next to him at his left side.  
  
"Fellow members of the Empire, this message is to inform all of you that there is a new ruler of the Empire.and the galaxy. The Emperor has been destroyed, and I shall rule in his place as the Master of the Sith. By my side, will be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Luke Skywalker." He motioned to his left, towards Luke.  
  
"A former leader of the Alliance, who assisted me in destroying the old Emperor. He will not be brought up on charges for his crime in the destruction of the Deathstar. If any Imperial Officer wishes to question this, he may bring a shuttle down to Coruscant, but he will not need it in the return home.  
  
"So, I hereby declare myself supreme and complete Emperor of the galaxy. The life of every being of the galaxy is at my disposal."  
  
The holo-message was turned off and a Royal Guard came into the Chamber.  
  
"See to it that this message is sent all throughout Coruscant within the end of tomorrow. I expect my rule to be knowledge of everyone on all major systems by the end of seven standard days. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, your Highness." The Royal Guard left with the holo to be copied and sent out.  
  
"Luke, there is talk of Imperial officers in the Palace who are planning an attack on me for killing the old Emperor. See to it that they are never able to do anything of the sort again."  
  
Luke didn't feel anything like his old self again. He could barely remember who he was before his submergence into the dark side. When his master gave him orders now, he simply did it without question. He had become the perfect slave to his father. "Yes, Master." 


	10. A Better Understanding

Leia's x-wing was slightly cramped, with Yoda sitting down just in front of her. It's a good thing that Master Yoda isn't how I originally envisioned him, otherwise, he wouldn't fit into my ship! "We have about another ten hours left until we arrive on Coruscant."  
  
"After all these years, finally going back to Coruscant."  
  
"Master Yoda, what will I do when I see Luke again?"  
  
"Confront him, you will have to. Back to the light, try to bring him. If unable is his sister, never come back, he can."  
  
Leia was slightly afraid to ask her next question. But it wasn't the question that she feared. It was the answer. "...And if I can't bring him back?"  
  
Yoda paused. He obviously didn't want it to happen anymore than Leia. "If too far into the dark, is he...fight him, you will have to. And kill him."  
  
Leia winced, as if she had just been stabbed. "Kill him? I can't kill him, he's my brother!"  
  
"As your brother, try not to think of him. As an advantage, the dark side will use it. Your compassion, will it manipulate. Your brother, that is not. But a slave in the body of your brother."  
  
Leia listened and understood Master Yoda had said, but she was still not sure. What am I going to do if I have to fight him? I don't even know if I could defeat him if I have to fight. Luke, please see what you're doing to yourself!  
  
Leia's x-wing continued on its journey through hyperspace.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Darth Vader was alone in his quarters. He sat down at a table and pulled out a holo-disc from a secret drawer under it. He held it in his hands and turned it on to reveal a three dimensional picture of his wife, Padme. He said nothing and did nothing. Only looked at her smiling face.  
  
"Is that who I think it is?"  
  
Darth Vader quickly turned his head around to see Luke standing behind him. How could I not sense Luke standing right behind me?  
  
Luke took a guess at what his father was thinking and answered him. "I've been practicing on blocking minds out from sensing me when I don't want them to. I guess I'm getting pretty good at it, if it worked on you."  
  
"Yes, you are. And if you ever use that trick on me again, it will be last thing you ever do, aside from hitting the ground!"  
  
"Forgive me, Master."  
  
"Yes, you are forgiven. How successful was your mission?"  
  
"Completely. Those officers were complete cowards. They admited to their crimes and I gave each of them a swift and fair punishment."  
  
"You killed them all?"  
  
"No, I killed none of them."  
  
"No? And why is that?"  
  
"They are all cowards when it comes to defending their own lives, but they are very good when it comes to military strategies. It would've been too much of a waste to the Empire to lose these officers."  
  
"So what did you do to them."  
  
"I lines all of them up and cut off their stronger hand at the the elbow. So that--"  
  
"So that they could never again raise a hand to the Empire. Poetic justice...I admit that I am impressed Luke. You may go now."  
  
Luke hesitated. This was a rare moment of challenging his master, but this was something he had to know. "I will go, but please answer me. That holo; is that my mother?"  
  
After a long pause, Darth Vader reluctantly answered. "Yes. That is your mother."  
  
Luke stared at the picture, not knowing quite what to say. Finally, he said the only thing that came to mind. "She was...very beautiful...What was her name?"  
  
"Her name was Padme."  
  
Luke took a deep breath, let it out and for the first time, said his mother's name. "Padme..."  
  
"When she was 14, she was the elected ruler of a small system called Naboo."  
  
"I've never heard of a system called Naboo."  
  
"That is because it no longer exists. At the beginning of the Empire, Naboo was the system that began the Rebellion. In an attempt to stop it right there, a deadly plague was released onto the planet that killed all humans. The plague is gone now and the planet sits there."  
  
"But that still doesn't explain why I've never heard of it."  
  
"Because the name of the planet is no longer called Naboo. It now goes by the name of Dagobah."  
  
Luke was startled to hear that news. Dagobah used to be the planet that my mother was the ruler of? Yes, that's why when I first came to that planet, I knew I had been there before. That something was so familiar about it. Why didn't Yoda ever tell me about that? Another secret that they hid from me!  
  
Darth Vader motioned for Luke to sit down. "Come, Luke. Sit down and I will tell you the history of the Skywalkers. But after you know, I want to never hear of it again. You will let the past die." 


	11. The Final Showdown

Luke was alone in the Palace Chamber meditating. He came out of it and opened his eyes when he sensed another presence in the room. "Hello, Father." When his father didn't respond, he grew a little suspicious. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"I have another test for you. Similar to the test that I had to endure in order to become the Dark Lord of the Sith."  
  
"You mean when you had to kill my mother?" Luke said with no anger. Simply that that was the way it had happened.  
  
"Yes. I have been successful in finding someone close to you in your old life." Darth Vader pulled his com-link from his belt. "Bring him in."  
  
Four Royal Guards came into the chamber with another carbonite slab. When they brought it upright, it was revealed to be Luke's best friend, Han Solo.  
  
"It took much...persuasion for Jabba the Hutt to hand Solo over to us. You will free him from the carbonite, allow him get to his feet and look you right in the eye. Then, you will kill him!"  
  
Luke didn't want to do it, he knew that if he didn't, his father might kill him. Or worse, think him unworthy of the Sith. There's no other way.  
  
Before Luke could answer, a voice came out of Darth Vader's intercom from his throne.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
The hyperdrive in Leia's x-wing began to beep. "We're here, Master Yoda." She shut off the hyperdrive and came back into real space. Coruscant was right there in sight through the canopy. "So, Master Yoda, how are we going to get to Luke?"  
  
"Quickest way to any point, a straight arrow is."  
  
"But isn't that a little dangerous. What if we hurt Luke?"  
  
"Then extra careful, you will have to be. Drawn onto the Force."  
  
As they entered Coruscant's atmosphere, Leia closed her eyes and opened herself to the Force. She sped up her ship...And headed...Straight...Towards...The Palace!  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
From Darth Vader's throne intercom, a panicked voice screamed from it. "Invasion near Imperial Palace! Headed directly for the Palace Chamber! Do you copy?"  
  
Before Darth Vader could even respond, the roof exploded with a shower of green lasers. Rafters were crashing to the ground and debris from what used to be a ceiling came down onto the ground, leaving the entire room full of smoke. The only thing that could be made out was a small ship, x- wing class, coming through the hole that was made and landing on the floor.  
  
The canopy opened to reveal Leia and Yoda leaping out of the x-wing. Leia stood before Luke, and Yoda stood before Darth Vader.  
  
"Well Luke, it appears you have an even better test before you. Kill this traitor of the Empire. She deserves death for her treachery."  
  
"Yes, Master." With his lightsaber ignited, he started to approach Leia, who cooly pulled her lightsaber from her belt and ignited the violet blade. Luke stopped in his tracks in surprise to see Leia with a lightsaber.  
  
"Why do you have a lightsaber? You're no Jedi Knight!"  
  
"Yes, I am Luke. I've learned a lot in the past months. I'm even your equal in power. I know this, because..." Leia halted for a split second. This is the only way I know of to bring him back. "Because, we're twins! That was the bond we felt when we met on the Deathstar. You have to know that it's true."  
  
I have a sister? Why is my entire life being hid from me? This is just going to make this that much harder. "Even if that's true, it doesn't matter. My Master has ordered your death. I must obey. I'm destined for the dark side, Leia. I know that now, because there was a lot that Obi-Wan hid from me. Leia, my father was not killed by Darth Vader. My father-- our father...is Darth Vader!"  
  
Leia hadn't expected anything like that at all. Leia hoped that this was a lie. "How can this be true? Why didn't Master Yoda tell me this?"  
  
"Because the Jedi lie, Leia! They manipulate you and tell you what they think you want to hear. The dark side has the real power, Leia. Our father has never lied to me. The Sith tell you how it really is. The Jedi fluff everything up to keep you from knowing and understanding reality."  
  
Luke struck at Leia with his lightsaber and she instinctively blocked the strike with her own lightsaber. The blades struck at one another with a blow so forceful that a small shower of sparks came from them.  
  
As the Skywalker twins continued to give each other blow after blow, Luke started to taunt Leia to distract and intimidate her.  
  
"You're very powerful, Leia. But you aren't my equal in power. Because you are only a Jedi. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith. You can't defeat someone without the dark side, Leia. I was never able to defeat our father without it. If you really think that you can defeat me without using your anger, then just try."  
  
"Do or do not. There is no try." Instinctively, Leia quoted the old Jedi Master who had shown her the key to her power. Luke and Leia's blades locked together and they both started trying to gain the upper hand. Luke had no idea where Leia had gotten the strength, but all of sudden Luke flew back a couple of meters, somehow managing to stay on his feet.  
  
Enraged now, Luke lunged at Leia, but what happened next was something that even the great Jedi Master, Yoda wouldn't have seen coming.  
  
Leia came back at Luke with a spin and strange twist of her lightsaber right at Luke's middle. It wasn't Luke's body that the blade went through, but the hilt of his lightsaber and it blew up in his hands.  
  
The explosion startled Luke so that he jumped back, and tripped onto the floor. He just looked up at Leia, who was still in battle stance, prepared for anything he might have planned. He had a look of complete surprise on his face. They stared at each other for a long moment, before Leia spoke up.  
  
"You see, Luke? You can win with the light side. You don't need to use your anger. Let go of it. You just weren't ready for Darth Vader last time. Now you are. Come back to the light...come back to me."  
  
"I can't, Leia. It's too late. The dark side's grip on me is too strong. My destiny has already been foretold. There's no point in fighting destiny."  
  
"That's not true, Luke! Master Yoda told me all about it." She extinguished her lightsaber. "When Darth Vader-" and winced at her next two words, "-our father began his training, his destiny was to bring balance to the Force. He was going to be the most powerful Jedi Knight who ever lived. Even more powerful than Master Yoda. He was known to many as 'the Chosen One.' But he changed his destiny, because of one choice that he made. You can make a choice too. You don't have to play the hand that has been dealt to you! You can change the destiny foreseen by the Emperor and our father! Please, come back to us!"  
  
Luke began to feel his anger rising up in him. "You're not listening to me! Just like Yoda and Obi-Wan did! You all spew out these little quotes and never open your eyes to what's real. My father has already shown me that there's no line between good and evil. There's only the Force."  
  
"Luke, if you're so much more powerful than me, then how come your lightsaber is destroyed and you're the one sitting on the floor? I know that you think that the dark side is giving you great power, but it's not! You're not just limiting yourself. You're paying a heavy price for power that's weak!"  
  
"You're sounding just like Yoda and Obi-Wan again. They told me that same thing. Only they never say what that 'heavy price' is!" Luke is now challenging Leia. "What is it? Just what's this heavy price for using the dark side Leia?"  
  
"Look at yourself, Luke! Even though you believe you're powerful, you're still angry. You spend your entire life living with your fear. Because that's all that you'll have. That's the life of a Sith. Of both Vader and the Emperor. Isolation. Fear. Pain. I s this the kind of life that you want? I remember when I first met you. The only thing that you wanted was to bring peace to the galaxy. Let that person come back out. You can still change this destiny."  
  
Leia extinguished her lightsaber and tossed it Luke's feet. Luke sat there looking down at the lightsaber near him. The he looked back up to Leia, who had an emotionless expression on her face.  
  
"Take my lightsaber if power is the only thing you care about."  
  
"What if I decide to kill you right now?"  
  
Leia shrugged and said, "That's your decision. But is that who you really want to be? Is that who you are? Is that who you, Luke Skywalker, truly want to be?"  
  
Luke said nothing. He just laid there on the ground looking up at his sister. Leia's words burned through his mind and began a spark of something that he had almost forgotten. That's it...That's the heavy price...Why didn't I see it before?  
  
DON'T LISTEN TO HER! SHE'S CLOUDING YOUR MIND! YOU'RE NOT WEAK! YOUR POWER IS IMMENSE!  
  
No! I have to try and let go.  
  
YOU'LL LOSE YOUR FATHER! BY LETTING GO OF YOUR ANGER, YOU'LL NEVER HAVE YOUR FATHER BACK!  
  
But I'll have my sister...A twin sister. She's right. I could kill her. But that's not who I am. That's not who I want to be.  
  
Luke picked up Leia's lightsaber and got up to his feet. He walked up to Leia and after a few moments reached out for her right hand and pulled it towards him. He placed her lightsaber into her hand and closed it around the metal hilt. They stood there for a moment, and almost as if it had been timed out, they put their arms around each other and just stood there clung together.  
  
We won't have our father after this, Luke. But at least we'll have each other. Together with Master Yoda, the Jedi Knights can one day flourish in the galaxy again.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
While all of this was going on, Master Yoda and Darth Vader were having their own battle. It had been many years since Master Yoda had fought with his lightsaber. He had lost a step or two and was not quite as quick, but he was still great enough for to be a challenge for Darth Vader. Yoda dodged and weaved away from Vader's blade; always moving, he was in a dance of the Force: striking, parrying, thrusting, weaving, leaping into the air.  
  
Finally, their blades locked and they stood there staring at one another. To an onlooker, this would seem very comical to see the great Darth Vader in a duel with a little green creature who came only up to just above his knee. But to Vader, this was a very serious duel. "Now, I can prove to Luke who the true Master is. After I destroy you, Yoda."  
  
"Foreseen this, I have. But already lost, have you. Destroyed the Emperor, you may have, but Leia already has brought Luke back from the dark side. Sense it, I do."  
  
"That is not possible. Luke is completely within my power. There's nothing that you could do to take him away."  
  
"True, this is. Nothing that I can do, is there. But possible, it would be, to be brought back by.his sister. Your daughter, she would be."  
  
"My power over Luke will never change. He is mine."  
  
"Similar, do you mean, to the Emperor's power over you?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Father. I cannot be the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Sith must end here." Darth Vader turned around to see Luke standing next to Leia, who had her lightsaber ignited, ready to fight. Luke, Leia, and Master Yoda formed a circle around Darth Vader.  
  
Despite everything that he had done, Luke knew that he felt compassion for his father, and didn't want it to end this way. "It doesn't have to be this way, Father. Please, let go of your hate."  
  
"Are you trying to make me let go of the dark side? It's too late for me, son. Obi-Wan and Yoda filled your mind with a lot of lies. The dark side is where the true power is!"  
  
"No, Father. You're wrong. I was wrong. The dark side isn't more powerful. It's just easier. It gives you all of your power at once. That's why it seems to be so powerful. You don't have to die here, Father. When you were telling me about my mother, I could tell that even though you had to kill her, you still loved her. I think you still do. There has to still good in you. Somewhere, in your mind, a small bit of Anakin Skywalker still lives. Please, Father. For me. And for Leia. Let him come out."  
  
"I will never turn from the dark side, Luke. Never!"  
  
Leia took a step towards Darth Vader, but Luke stopped her. "No, Leia. Let me do this. I must carry the burden."  
  
Leia stared into Luke's eyes and nodded as she deactivated her lightsaber and handed it to him. Please be careful. We've come so far, I don't want to have to watch you die now.  
  
Darth Vader and Luke began their ultimate battle. A rematch that Luke swore to himself would not be a failure like last time. Luke became one with the Force as he battled his father. As the battle continued, he felt himself grow more and more with the Force. Strength gathering, knowledge growing, and his lightsaber began to move more rapidly. To sped to the point where it looked as if his father had begun to slow down. Luke began to realize that he was going to win. He didn't know how he knew or how quickly it would happen, but he knew he was more powerful now. And he realized that is father knew too. Father, there isn't much time left in this battle. Please come from the light.  
  
This is my destiny, Luke. It cannot be undone. The prophecy MUST be fulfilled.  
  
What are you talking about?  
  
This is the way it must be Luke. When this is over, there is something hanging from my belt behind my back. Take it. I love you, Luke. And Leia. I will miss you both.  
  
But--At that moment, Luke realized that he had just put his lightsaber through his father's chest. He extinguished the blade as his father fell to the ground.  
  
Luke, Leia, and Master Yoda all walked up to Darth Vader, who was laying there very still. Leia and Luke both got to their knees and helped their father sit up.  
  
His breathing was hoarse and very slow. "Luke...Leia. I'm dying."  
  
"No, Father. You don't have to. We'll get a medic droid down here. You can live."  
  
"No, Luke. I don't want to live. I don't deserve to. All the lives that I've destroyed...I only hope that someday, I will be forgiven. But right now, I want to look at the both of you through my old eyes. Please, take my mask off. I don't have the energy for it."  
  
Luke and Leia looked at each other through watery eyes. They nodded at each other. Leia pulled off their father's helmet and dropped it to the ground with a thud. Luke put a hand on each side of the mask, and stalled for just a second before he pulled off the mask to reveal the pale face of a scared and scarred old man.  
  
"Thank you both for helping to release me from the dark side. Master Yoda?"  
  
"I am here."  
  
"Thank you for training my children. They will make very powerful Jedi Knight." Anakin let out a small moan of pain. "Luke? Leia? Succeed where I failed." And Anakin's focus began to blur. Everything went dark. And after this, the slave who became a Jedi Knight; the Jedi Knight who became a Sith; the Sith that destroyed the final Master of the Sith...died.  
  
Luke began to sob quietly as Leia got up to carbonite slab of Han Solo and released him from it. Han's body fell away from the slab. Leia bent over to help him to his feet. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavy. "What--What's going on, Leia? Where am I?"  
  
Softly, she told him, "We're on Coruscant at the Imperial Palace."  
  
"We have to get out of here!"  
  
"It's okay, Han. Master Yoda, Luke and I defeated Darth Vader. We're winning the war, Han."  
  
"Huh? Who's Yoda? And how did you defeat Darth Vader? What's going on?"  
  
Leia embraced Han and said, "Calm down. When we have time, I'll explain everything." She and Han walked back to Luke and Master Yoda. She noticed that Luke had a holo-disc in his hand. "Before he died, this was something that he wanted us to have."  
  
Luke handed it to Leia. She turned it on and they saw a picture of a young man of about 20 years wearing a Jedi Knight robe and a padawan braid. Next to him, was a picture of a young woman somewhere in her mid 20's, who was very beautiful, wearing her long dark hair up. A tear came down Leia's cheek. "That's our mother. That's the face from my memories. And that must be our father. Before he...became Darth Vader."  
  
Luke put his hand on Leia's shoulder. "There's a lot about our family that our father told me. When there's time, I will tell you all about the Skywalker line that he told me."  
  
"Do you think that he'll be forgiven for all that he's done?"  
  
Yoda had been standing off to the side with Han, but now he walked slowly up to Luke and Leia kneeling there. "Only forgiven will a man be, if truly worthy, is he."  
  
Luke and Leia both looked at Yoda, waiting for him to finish.  
  
Yoda nodded. "Forgiven, will he be. Come. Time, it is, to go home." 


	12. Epilogue

-EPILOGUE-  
  
Another week went gone by. News had spread all over the galaxy that the Emperor and Darth Vader had finally been killed. Lacking a leader, many Imperial troops and squadrons evacuated their systems and scurried for the one safe Imperial system. Coruscant. People began arriving in thousands to sign up for the Alliance. It had become a great and victorious time for them. The war wasn't over yet, but for the first time, it looked like the Alliance could win. And with the future Jedi Order on their side, some were positive that one day, the Empire would be finished forever.  
  
Despite how much they were needed right now with the Alliance, Luke and Leia and Han made a stop off somewhere. Luke and Leia had decided to do one last thing to make themselves officially Jedi Knights.  
  
"Not necessary, this is. Jedi Knights, the both of you are." Master Yoda, Luke, Leia and Han were all back on Dagobah, outside of the dark side cave, where they both went in and failed their test.  
  
"We know, Master Yoda. But this is something that Luke and I both decided that we wanted to do. Together."  
  
"And I need to see if the dark side is still inside of me. I need to know if it still has a small grasp."  
  
Yoda took in a deep breath and let it back out. "Very well. If what it takes to make you Jedi Knights in your own eyes, this is, then enter you should."  
  
Luke and Leia smiled and looked at each other. Luke had no lightsaber clipped to his belt anymore, but Leia did. She unclipped it and handed it to Yoda. "Why don't you hang on to this, Master Yoda? I know that I'm not going to need it."  
  
Despite the seriousness of the moment, Master Yoda couldn't help but smile as he took the lightsaber from Leia. Pass the test, they will. Sense it, I can.  
  
Han walked up to Leia and smiled as he put both of his arms around Leia. "Don't do anything to get yourself killed, okay?"  
  
Leia mockingly smiled back at him and said, "After every dangerous and stupid I've had to watch you do, I'd say you don't have too much room to talk. And this is just a test. I can't get hurt."  
  
Han chuckled a bit and said, "Well, seeing as how you're a Jedi now, I guess I can't do much to stop you." They both began to laugh and then kissed each other briefly.  
  
Leia said, "This is something I have to do. We'll be back shortly." Luke and Leia both took a deep breath and entered the cave. When they came to the place that both of them met their test at before, they stopped. And waited.  
  
Two forms appeared before them. One was of Darth Vader. The other was the Emperor. Both Luke and Leia stood there waiting for the Emperor to speak, but it was Darth Vader that spoke.  
  
Motioning to the Emperor, Darth Vader said, "We may be dead, but our legacies can still live on. In you two. By joining your powers together, you can keep us strong."  
  
Luke walked up to Darth Vader. Leia walked up to the Emperor. They had both figured out their final test. "You are not Darth Vader. He lives no more." He reached out and pulled off the helmet and mask to reveal Anakin Skywalker. Not the old pale man that died, but the young man he once was. They both smiled at each other.  
  
Leia looked at the Emperor and smiled. "And you are not the Emperor. He also lives no more." She reached out and pulled the hood down to reveal the face of their mother, Padme. They too, both smiled at each other. Padme was the one who spoke up.  
  
"Remember, what we've told you. We are both dead, but we can still live inside each of you. If you join together, our legacies will live on."  
  
Luke and Leia went back to each other's sides and held hands. Luke cleared his throat so that he could speak. "Don't worry, Mother. We will. We promise you that your ideas of peace in the galaxy will one day become a reality. If not by us, then by the future Jedi Order."  
  
Then it was Anakin's turn to speak up. "At one time in my life, I was called 'the Chosen One.' Maybe at that time, I could've been, but by my changing my destiny, I've passed it on to you two. Please, make better choices than I did."  
  
After so many years, the Skywalker family was finally together. Even if for just these few precious seconds. Soon, Anakin and Amidala faded away.  
  
Once again, Luke and Leia were alone in the Dagobah cave. Luke and Leia looked at each other. Then, together, they walked out of the cave; this time, as full Jedi Knights. Ready to rebuild the Republic, the new Jedi Order, and the galaxy.  
  
THE END  
  
-A big thank you to all who have been reading and reviewing my story. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I have a couple of ideas for a continuing story. If any of you would be interested in reading that if I write it, let me know. Again, Thank you! MTFBWY! 


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